Saturday, June 7, 2014

The Need to Mourn

God is with us in the
intimacy of grief

The shooting on the Seattle Pacific University campus that took the
life of a nineteen year old college student, and sent three other
students to the hospital, is one of those moments
that brings together whole communities in need of mourning together.
During times like this, we need to mourn. One of the most tremendously
rewarding and challenging aspects of the priesthood is comforting people
in their darkest moments of sorrow. Do not be mistaken, and think that
priests are exempt from the pain of those whom they try to comfort, or
that we have magical words that somehow ease the pain or bring order to
the chaos of grief. Platitudes are useless in dark days of mourning. The
one who has lost his life may very well be “in a better place,” but it
is oddly of little comfort to say those words. In a powerful witness of
human behavior, Christ “does not say, ‘Well, now he is in heaven,
everything is well; he is separated from this difficult and tormented
life.’ Christ does not say all those things we do in our pathetic and
uncomforting attempts to console. In fact he says nothing—he weeps.”

In like fashion, we need to embrace the grief that we feel at the
senseless loss of innocent young lives. We need to honor the bereavement
process, because just as God gave the young man to his family and
community for nineteen wonderful years, so too God has blessed those
left behind with the grief that they feel at his leaving. Grief is
confirmation that this was a person of value, a beloved son, a cherished
brother, a treasured friend. Grief is how we honor a well-lived life.
His death is grief-worthy, and all the more so because of his tender
age. In grieving, we do his memory justice, and follow in the example of
Jesus, who wept at the grave of his friend Lazarus. Like martyrs of the
ancient church, like Lazarus in the New Testament, that young man's
departure from this world before his time was up makes his death
particularly galling for those left behind to wonder how they are going
to the fill the space that he once occupied. The mystery of a future
without this young man is a daunting, right now, as the mystery of death
itself.

As a priest and monk of the Russian Orthodox Church, I
am comfortable with this mystery, as all Christians should be. Death
can be a mystery precisely because the triumph over death is not a
mystery. As the Russian Orthodox theologian Alexander Schmemann wrote,
“in essence, Christianity is not concerned with coming to terms with
death, but rather with the victory over it.” In the light of everlasting
life, in the name of Jesus Christ, the dreadful threat and dark mystery
that is death is transformed into a happy and victorious event for the
believer, and “Death is swallowed up in victory." (1 Cor. 15:54)

So mourning is an ancient ritual, one in which Jesus participated, and
those of his faith before him. For all of us, all people, death is a
common element of humanity, the common trait that we share, and the
common enemy of our loved ones. And like grief, victory over death binds
people together in a larger, more powerful community, the community
that is found in the Christian faith. People accuse Christians of being
members of a “death cult,” obsessed with a dying savior and focused on
the afterlife to the exclusion of the present; but they are wrong.
Christianity does not deny life, Christianity affirms life. Christianity
affirms life even in death, because for Christians, death does not
remove the relationship that exists. In death, as in life, this young
man is our son, our brother, our friend. In death, as in life, we love
and honor him, and death cannot take him from us. Death has taken this
young man, but it has also provided those left behind with the
opportunity to live with the hope of one day joining him. And a life
with hope is a good life.

So for us, the death of this young
innocent is the beginning of the true life that also awaits us beyond
the grave, if indeed we have begun to live it here. Christ, “the
resurrection and the life,” (John 11:25) transformed death. Christ
assumed human flesh, Christ was crucified, resurrected, ascended to
heaven and waits for us there, and Christ ushers us into new life both
now and after our death. Therefore, even as death exposes our frailty
and our grief, death does not reveal our finiteness; instead it reveals
our infiniteness, our eternity. To this end, the Christian does not
ponder the mystery of death in a way that is paralyzing, negative and
apathetic, but in a way that is productive, positive and dynamic.

God, to whom you have entrusted your soul, is a good and perfect God.
This God will do what is right with your child, what is just with your
brother, and what is honorable with your friend. There is no saying, no
claim, no scripture that will give us peace in our loss right now or
even calm our troubled souls; but we can find comfort and peace in God
who is present with us, and in us and through us in the intimacy of
grief, as we mourn the death of an innocent young man.

With love in Christ, Abbot Tryphon

Saturday June 7, 2014 / May 25, 2014Commemoration of the Dead. Tone six.

Third Finding of the Precious Head of St. John the Baptist (850).
Virgin-Martyr Helen (1938).
New Hieromartyr Tavrion (1939).
St. Innocent archbishop of Cherson (1857).
Hieromartyr Therapon, bishop of Cyprus (4th c.).
St. Dodo, prince of Georgia (6th c.).
Synaxis of Saints of Volhynia: Saints Yaropolk, Stephen, Macarius, Igor and Juliana.
Commemoration of the reunion of 3,000,000 Uniates with the Orthodox Church at Vilna in 1831.
Martyrs Pasicrates, Valentinian, Julius and others at Dorostolum (302).
St. Aldehelm, bishop of Sherborne.
Martyr Celestine (Greek).
St. Olbian, monk (Greek).You can read the life of the saint by clicking on the highlighted name.

"Blogs and social networks give us new opportunities for the
Christian mission...Not to be present there means to display our
helplessness and lack of care for the salvation of our brothers." His Holiness Patriarch Kirill
The Scripture Readings for the Day

Acts 28:1-31

Paul’s Ministry on Malta

28 Now when they had escaped, they then found out that the island was called Malta. 2 And
the natives showed us unusual kindness; for they kindled a fire and
made us all welcome, because of the rain that was falling and because of
the cold. 3 But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat, and fastened on his hand. 4 So
when the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to
one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has
escaped the sea, yet justice does not allow to live.” 5 But he shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm. 6 However,
they were expecting that he would swell up or suddenly fall down dead.
But after they had looked for a long time and saw no harm come to him,
they changed their minds and said that he was a god.7 In
that region there was an estate of the leading citizen of the island,
whose name was Publius, who received us and entertained us courteously
for three days. 8 And
it happened that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and
dysentery. Paul went in to him and prayed, and he laid his hands on him
and healed him. 9 So when this was done, the rest of those on the island who had diseases also came and were healed. 10 They also honored us in many ways; and when we departed, they provided such things as were necessary.

Arrival at Rome

11 After three months we sailed in an Alexandrian ship whose figurehead was the Twin Brothers, which had wintered at the island. 12 And landing at Syracuse, we stayed three days. 13 From there we circled round and reached Rhegium. And after one day the south wind blew; and the next day we came to Puteoli, 14 where we found brethren, and were invited to stay with them seven days. And so we went toward Rome. 15 And
from there, when the brethren heard about us, they came to meet us as
far as Appii Forum and Three Inns. When Paul saw them, he thanked God
and took courage.16 Now
when we came to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the
captain of the guard; but Paul was permitted to dwell by himself with
the soldier who guarded him.

Paul’s Ministry at Rome

17 And
it came to pass after three days that Paul called the leaders of the
Jews together. So when they had come together, he said to them: “Men and
brethren, though I have done nothing against our people or the customs
of our fathers, yet I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into
the hands of the Romans, 18 who, when they had examined me, wanted to let me go, because there was no cause for putting me to death. 19 But when the Jews spoke against it, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar, not that I had anything of which to accuse my nation. 20 For this reason therefore I have called for you, to see you and speak with you, because for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.”21 Then
they said to him, “We neither received letters from Judea concerning
you, nor have any of the brethren who came reported or spoken any evil
of you. 22 But we desire to hear from you what you think; for concerning this sect, we know that it is spoken against everywhere.”23 So when they had appointed him a day, many came to him at his
lodging, to whom he explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom of
God, persuading them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the
Prophets, from morning till evening. 24 And some were persuaded by the things which were spoken, and some disbelieved. 25 So
when they did not agree among themselves, they departed after Paul had
said one word: “The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet
to our fathers, 26 saying,

‘Go to this people and say:“Hearing you will hear, and shall not understand;And seeing you will see, and not perceive;27 For the hearts of this people have grown dull.Their ears are hard of hearing,And their eyes they have closed,Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears,Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,So that I should heal them.”’

28 “Therefore let it be known to you that the salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will hear it!” 29 And when he had said these words, the Jews departed and had a great dispute among themselves.30 Then Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who came to him, 31 preaching
the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus
Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him.

John 21:15-25

Jesus Restores Peter

15 So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?”He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.”He said to him, “Feed My lambs.”16 He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?”He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.”He said to him, “Tend My sheep.”17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?”And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.”Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep. 18 Most
assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and
walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out
your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.” 19 This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me.”

The Beloved Disciple and His Book

20 Then
Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who
also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, “Lord, who is
the one who betrays You?” 21 Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, “But Lord, what about this man?”22 Jesus said to him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.”23 Then
this saying went out among the brethren that this disciple would not
die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?”24 This is the disciple who testifies of these things, and wrote these things; and we know that his testimony is true.25 And
there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were
written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not
contain the books that would be written. Amen.

All-Merciful
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